If you could bottle the Scottish essence of the Cabot Trail on Atlantic Canada’s Cape Breton Island, it might taste like this.


A little sip, Wow! Very hot on the palate, you need that first sip to prepare yourself. That bites, yes it does.


But don’t call this Scotch Whiskey—it’s Canadian single malt, made at Glenora Distillery, the first single malt distillery in North America.


"Whiskey that is only made from three ingredients. That’s malted barley, water and yeast. Anything else, corn, any other grain can not be added or it’s not a single malt," said Doug Davis, Glenora Distillery Inn Manager.


The single malt 'Glen Breton Rare' gets its unique flavor from a combination of factors.


"Well I suppose it’s the 10 years you have to wait to really put it on the shelf, in some ways, its also the barrels, the barrels come from the Bourbon and sour mash industry in America, but of course the environment makes quite an effect as well," said Davis.


Over a minimum maturation period of 10 years, as the alcohol evaporates from the barrel, the surroundings seep in. Taste the saltiness of the ocean that is just a few miles away, and a hint of a crisp red apple from the nearby orchards.


The stream that runs through the property is the source for the water that is used in the distillation process that visitors can tour several times a day. What remains a secret, is the bottling itself.


To make a night of it, guests can stay in the nine room inn or in one of the six chalets perched high above. There’s also a pub and an award winning dining room.